


Childhood Hero

by startrekto221B



Category: DC Animated Universe, Justice League & Justice League Unlimited (Cartoons)
Genre: M/M, Time Travel
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-08-19
Updated: 2016-08-22
Packaged: 2018-08-09 17:11:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,811
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7810333
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/startrekto221B/pseuds/startrekto221B
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Lex Luthor invents a time machine to take him back to the past with the sole purpose of destroying Gotham City--and thereby killing the young Bruce Wayne--Wally West/The Flash is the only one that can stop him. Or: The biggest Flash fan ever is little Bruce Wayne.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Just to be clear. The romance would be between present-day Flash/Wally West and Batman/Bruce Wayne.

**Death Valley**

**Present Day**

 

Under the roof of a small, nondescript warehouse was the most elaborate underground weapons facility ever built. Tailored to the finish with Lexcorp nanotech, virtually undetectable, completely lead-lined, and almost completely isolated. It had been built with a sole purpose. To destroy the Justice League.

Within a small interior room four levels underground, Lex Luthor plugged in the coordinates into a bright red control pad. Within fifteen seconds, his neutron bomb would launch into space and collide with the Watchtower. Only his manual abort could stop it now. The timer began to count down.

_Fifteen._

The security breach alarm went off. The security system had identified and was engaging an intruder.

“Intruder alert. Intruder has accessed ground level.” a computerized female voice told Luthor.

_Fourteen._

“He’ll never get past the lava pits.” Luthor laughed.

_Thirteen._

“Intruder has accessed sub level 1.”

Luthor raised an eyebrow, “My colony of nanotech predators will eat him alive.”

_Twelve._

“Intruder has accessed sub level 2.”

_Eleven._

Luthor sighed, Justice League, it had to be the Justice League. Luckily, he had a backup plan in place. Especially if they had sent who he hoped for.

_Ten._

“Intruder has accessed sub level 3.”

_Nine._

“Intruder has accessed sub level 4.” the voice said in a monotone.

“Flash,” Luthor almost smiled, perfect.

_Eight._

“Luthor, how do you turn this thing off?” Wally eyed the console rapidly, panting from exertion. His suit was ripped in several places, a part of his leg singed.

_Seven._

“Flash. It’s probably a manual override, he has to say it,” Batman’s voice came in over the comm to Wally.

“It couldn’t just be a button or something?” Wally exclaimed, “How am I supposed to make him say it?”

_Six._

“Think of something.” Batman said.

“Helpful,” Wally said sarcastically as he racked his mind for options, “I don’t think I can do this. If it was you you could probably get him with some mental judo or--”

“You...can.” Batman offered, “Just stay calm, Fl-...Wally.”

_Five._

“I got it.” Wally said, “So what’re you going to do when you’ve finished us off Luthor? Beach trip? Or are you more of a cold weather guy?”

“You.” Luthor looked confused, “What? You’ve got four seconds and you’re asking me about my vacation preferences? Pathetic. Even for you, Flash.”

_Four._

“Come on, even villains must want a break sometimes. Think about it. Cancun. You could get an amazing head-tan.”

“You’re an imbecile,” Lex said.

_Three._

“What does that make you exactly? Since I’ve beaten you.” Flash pointed out.

“Without your speed you would be as exceptionally average as most people are, I assure you.” Luthor snapped.

_Two._

“Manual override. Authorization: Lex Luthor.” Flash said, mimicking Luthor’s voice perfectly.

“Launch sequence aborted.” The computerized voice said.

 

“You studied his speech pattern to vibrate your vocal cords at the exact frequency. Efficient.” Batman commented over the comm, “You should destroy the system. Just in case he tries to start it up again.”

 _Efficient_ , Wally smiled to himself, that was quite a compliment from The Batman.

Wally did a lap around the room, undoing the wiring of the consoles mainframe and crippling the facility's central computer before coming back to Luthor.

 

“How many times do we gotta go through this Luthor?” Wally asked, casually running circles around the defeated genius multi-billionaire.

“Until I defeat you, and I will defeat you,” Luthor said, a gleam in his eye.

“Nah. Bats knew where your secret base was all along, then he sent me before you could detonate your neutron bomb. You didn’t have a chance. Not this time.” Wally came to a halt in front of him, “So, uh, it’d be good if you’d surrender now. I’m kinda hungry.”

 

“Batman,” Luthor grimaced, “Every. Damn. Time.”

“I’m pretty sure you can get the whining and evil revenge monologues done from behind bars. I’m really on a schedule here.” Flash said pointedly.

“You know, we all know now what would happen if The Justice League lost the Flash. The Justice Lords and all. But what would happen if it lost The Batman?” Luthor mused.

“Good luck getting to him. Crazier men have tried.” Wally pointed out, “Seriously.”

“Getting to him the way he is now would be impractical, yes. But what if I were to do it in the past. When he was a child?” Luthor smiled to himself, what a plan.

“You know his secret identity?” Wally asked.

 

“No,” Luthor admitted, “But I’ve made my educated inferences over the years. His approximate age. He was undoubtedly raised in Gotham.”

“You’re going to go back in time. Destroy an entire city. To try and eliminate one kid. That’s a little far-fetched even for you. Not to mention totally impossible.” Wally said, “Also. Can we please be done now? I know you like to make speeches and stuff but that’s really only okay when you’re winning.”

“I am winning, Flash.” Luthor said.

 

“Okay. Reality check. First--” Wally started.

“You can’t hear anyone on your comms can you?” Luthor asked.

“Of course I...Batman come in. Watchtower come in. Anyone! Come in.” Wally tried desperately, “What the heck did you do?”

“This facility is hard-wired to channel your energy,” Luthor said, “On the sizable chance that it would be you they sent to de-escalate a bomb threat scenario I ensured that. Your energy was force fed into a temporal re-alignment machine three sub-levels down from here. Originally, I had intended to simply go back to a point in time before you had breached the the facility and prevent you from winning the same way twice. But I changed my mind.”

“Temporal re-alignment machine. That’s a fancy word for time travel device.” Wally said nervously.

The world suddenly started to spin. Wally tried to run in different directions but kept bumping into invisible barriers. There was a blinding flash of light. His skin and his hands crackled. Luthor was gone. Everything was gone. _Just stay calm, Wally_. He heard Batman’s voice in his head. Yes, he thought. Stay calm. Just stay calm. Think of good things.

He was running. Trying to balance himself in this strange sensation. He liked running. _Just stay calm_. What else did he like? Central City. Dunkin Donuts. Aunt Iris. Dick Grayson. French fries. Helping kids. Being The Flash. Banana Split Sundaes. The Batman. Wally liked The Batman more than he probably should. More than made sense. Which is why it was particularly distressing that he was currently in a time vortex with a deranged billionaire who was trying to kill him.

When he woke up he was laying on the sidewalk. It was a hot summer’s day. His vision was a bit blurry. He looked at the buildings to his side. _Not Central City. Not Metropolis_. This place had a sort of gaunt, elegance to it. But it had a dirtiness to it too. He remembered what Luthor had said. Wally got up, seeing Luthor nowhere in sight. This must be Gotham.

But had they actually traveled through time? Or just teleported.

 

“Batman. Come in.” He said as people started ogling his strange costume, “Oops better get out of here quick.”

He dove into an alley.

“Watchtower come in. Anyone. Come in.”

He looked at a newspaper sticking out of the trash. And quickly glanced at the date. Oh no. Not this. The headline of the paper only confirmed his worst fear about how far back in time he had come.

 

_WAYNES DONATE NEW WING TO GOTHAM CITY HOSPITAL_

 

There was a dark haired man in the photo. If the caption didn’t say ‘Thomas Wayne’, Wally would have said this could be Bruce. He had his arm around a pretty lady, wearing a crimson jacket and a string of pearls around her neck. She had blue eyes. Batman’s blue eyes.

She was carrying a kid. He couldn’t be more than four. Flash looked closely at the picture, trying to identify even a glimmer of the grit and determination of The Batman in this kid whose tiny fist was pulling at the young woman’s sleeve. Maybe he was trying to tell her something. In bat-code. But that was unlikely. He was probably just annoyed at all the flashing cameras.

“I have to find them,” Flash said to himself, “I have to make sure they’re safe. Then find Luthor. Then find a way to get back.”

His stomach rumbled.

“Then again. Luthor just got here when I did. I’ll find myself some food first. I'll be no use running on empty.”

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Gotham City**

**Forty Years Ago**

 

“Hi. My name is Wally West. A crazy evil genius from the future has come back to the past to kill your son Bruce. Because Bruce is the Batman. They’ve got to buy that right?” Wally sighed to himself, “No one’s going to buy it. And I’m talking to myself. Again.”

He looked down at the civilian clothes he had managed to buy, thankful the five dollars he stashed in the Flash suit was worth so much more due to reverse inflation.  _ At least I look somewhat normal.  _

Luthor probably had seven eighths of a plan by now. He on the other hand had run about a million possible ways to save Bruce in his mind. Searching the entire city the old fashioned way for Luthor. Crafting an alternate identity to get closer to the Waynes. Kidnapping Bruce. Putting up ‘Have you seen this man?’ posters with Luthor’s face on it on every streetlamp in Gotham City. Going to Themyscira by himself to see if anyone knew where Wonder Woman was so he could get her to help him. Each one was more ridiculous than the one before it. He might as well just knock on their front door. Even Luthor wouldn’t expect that. It was way too straightforward. Batman had once said that no one could anticipate him. Maybe he should play to his strength. 

 

Wally was really glad of the lack of super intense ‘bat-security’ on Wayne manor. Breaking into Bruce’s place in the present day was a sure bet of losing a limb at the very least. Today he was at the door with barely a scratch on him. 

 

“I’m going to have to escort you out, sir. You were not cleared for access to the grounds.” 

“Alfred? Is that seriously you? You look awesome man.” Wally exclaimed, “Sorry about the breaking and entering thing. It’s kind of an emergency.”

The young butler raised an eyebrow, “I don’t think we are acquainted.”

“We will be.” Wally said, his voice dropping as he realized how dumb he probably sounded, “In the future. I’m a close, personal friend of Master Bruce.” 

“Sir I don’t think you’re quite the right age to be a friend of Master Bruce.” Alfred said, “Now I’m going to have to ask you to clear the premises immediately. And I assure you this will be the last time I ask nicely.”

“I’ve thought about it. The age thing. I’m only twelve years younger. That’s not too bad.” Wally said quickly, “But, yeah. The other thing. You have to believe me. Um. You make awesome blueberry pie. The clock down the hallway. There’s a cave behind it. Bruce likes watching  _ The Grey Ghost _ a lot. Here. If you want. I can lay draw out an entire diagram of the living room if you want. Furniture and everything.” Wally said desperately, grabbing a rock in the grass and zipping back to Alfred. 

“Oh good heavens,” Alfred said, looking at Wally more intensely. 

“Right. Yeah. I have super speed. Probably should have mentioned that. But the story was already a little. Weird. So.” Wally knelt on the ground, whirred his fingers rapidly to sharpen the rock, and drew an approximate diagram of the Waynes living room from the last time he had been in Bruce’s house.

He was pretty sure Bruce hadn’t changed anything about it since his parents lived there, so he knew it’d be authentic. After all, when he had mentioned it to him once, he had called it ‘My Father’s House’ instead of ‘My House’. It was one of those small things about Bruce. Things he couldn’t help but notice. Things that made him ache a bit too. 

“Regrettably, it’s perfect.” Alfred remarked. 

“You’ve always been the reasonable one. Look me in the eye and tell me I’m lying. If you do. I’ll go. With my speed. If I wanted to hurt Bruce I honestly woulda done it already. But I haven’t. You have to believe me. I’m his friend.” Wally begged. 

 

_ He’s gonna say no. _

_ I know I told him I would up and leave but maybe this is time to start Operation Kidnap Bruce. Wow that sounds messed up.  _

 

Wally thought about his conversations with Bruce. Tried to think up what else he knew about the Waynes. One particular conversation stood out in his mind. It was ages ago. They were on a mission. A rogue scientist had been engineering an army of killer bees. Bruce figured they could stop the bees from reproducing if they could figure out what kind of flowers they used during pollination. Then he had named a bunch of facts about different flowers. One thing had led to another and Flash had found himself in a javelin with The Batman to inspect the scientist’s greenhouse and look for clues. 

It had been an offhand comment. Flash had used to make a lot of those to try and break the tension between him and the Bat. By then was just habit. 

“Did you really study a load of stuff about flowers and stuff just in case it popped up in some crime somewhere?” 

Usually Bruce didn’t answer. And Wally would chatter on good-naturedly. But that time he had. 

“My mother loved to garden.” Bruce had said simply. 

“Oh,” Wally had said, “That’s nice. Really nice. Do you garden?”

He had gone too far. 

“The knowledge is also integral to understanding the origin of various chemical poisons.” 

The moment had been over. 

 

“Mrs. Wayne loves to garden,” Wally said to Alfred. 

 

He thought again. Something about his dad. He was a doctor. But everyone knew that. He remembered. He had been in the house to see Bruce, Alfred had led him down the hall. He had stopped at a painting of a man that looked a lot like Bruce.

“Alfred is that Bruce’s dad?” he had asked. 

“Yes, that is a portrait of the late Master Thomas when he was twenty.”

He had looked up and down the hall, this was the only painting here, “There’s something special about this one. Batman likes this one more than the others.”

“Few know this,” Alfred had said, “It is a self portrait.”

_ Of course. Steady hands. Doctor’s hands. Of course he could paint.  _

 

Wally snapped back to the present moment. Well, the past technically. This was getting confusing. 

“Dr. Wayne is totally an artist.” Wally said to Alfred’s general shock. 

 

Wally dug for more Bruce secret tidbits in the back of his mind. Something really personal. Something only Alfred and his parents would know about the little boy.  _ Bingo. _ It was so good it even blew his mind a little bit when he realized it. But it made a lotta sense. 

“Bruce is really scared of bats isn’t he?” Wally asked. 

 

Alfred looked at him sternly one last time, as if probing his being by looking into his eyes. 

Finally, he looked satisfied, “Come in, Master Wallace. I’ll take you to meet the Waynes. I’m afraid Master Bruce is still in the nursery. He suffered a rather unfortunate tricycle accident earlier this evening.”

 

“Don't worry,” Wally said, “He gets better at the driving thing. A lot better ”


	3. Chapter 3

As soon as he sets foot inside Wally’s faced with the decision of his life. _What’s he gonna tell them?_ If he tells them Bruce becomes the Batman, they’ll want to know why. And he can’t possibly tell them why. But shouldn’t he? That could fix everything. He could prevent their deaths. Bruce could have his parents. He could have his family again. This is exactly what Bruce would want. But Batman would kill him for mucking around in the timestream. It was the ultimate in between a rock and a hard place. In between Bruce and Batman. 

“Alfred, I just have a quick question,” Wally said nervously.

“Yes?” Alfred asked.

“Do you have any kids?”  he asked.

“No, I’m afraid I do not.” Alfred replied, “Sir, in your future, does a child of mine do something of significance?”

“Yeah, he does. He’s just about the most significant person I’ve ever met.” Wally confessed.

“Ah,” a look of understanding passes over Alfred’s face, “If you are aware something about Master Bruce’s future, know that no matter what comes to pass he will never be alone in his struggle. I assure you of that.”

 

Wally just looked at him. _Does he know? Did he get what I meant?_ But Alfred’s words have made his decision. He can’t try and change the future more than it’s already been altered. In fact, when he escapes back with Luthor he’ll tell them to keep this whole incident a secret. Tell no one else. Not even remind Bruce when hes older. Hes hardly going to remember much of what he sees if hes only 3 and a half now. Terrible things happen when you mess with time. He’s gotten that lecture from Barry about a million times. Because Barry’s felt the pull to fix things too. But he can’t. Not even for someone he’d do almost anything to see happy.

He’ll tell them Lex is a major business competitor. Eliminating the only competition. It’s only half a lie. Lexcorp and WayneTech are neck and neck anyway. It sorta makes sense.

He goes to the Waynes’ fancy formal living room, and he begins to explain...

Thomas Wayne believed him first. Wally is a little bit surprised. He’d always thought Bruce got his steel, his toughness from his father. He was wrong. Thomas Wayne has an easy smile, you can read all of his emotions on his face. He’s a principled man who believes the best in people. He believes Wally is here to do good, because he trusts Alfred, and because despite having grown up in Gotham none of its darkness sticks to him. Wally’s reminded, quite suddenly, of Clark.

Martha still doesn’t trust him. She’s watching him. She’s measured in what she says. Careful. Her eyes are so intensely blue, just like Bruce’s and he can see that this woman is a fighter. In her quest to go out and help people she’s seen some things. She knows more of the dark underbelly of Gotham than her husband does. There’s a look in her eyes that Wally knows means _If you hurt my son it will be the last thing you ever do_.

 

“His name is Lex Luthor.” Wally continued, “Tall. Bald. Likes to make long speeches. I’m going to try and find him. But I might need your help.”

“How do we know you’re not going to lead this Lex Luthor right to Bruce?” Martha asked.

“I’m not. I promise I’m not.” Wally sighed, Batmom was proving just about as tough to crack as Batman on a good day.

“Martha please,” Thomas said, “The boy has made a fairly airtight case.”

“Alright,” Martha said, “We will help you. But on our terms. We can’t publically seem to be acting any different, or this Luthor person will be clued in immediately to the fact that we are the parents of Bruce Wayne.”

_Damn. This lady is totally the Batmom. Focus, Wally._

 

“Mother? Father?” a small boy is at the door sucking his thumb, “We have a guest?”

“Master Bruce,” Alfred says quietly and the boy guiltily takes his thumb from his mouth.

“Yes we do Bruce, this is Mister--” Thomas began.

_Oh my god. Its Bruce. Stay cool, Wally. Wait. Why am I freaking out. Its just a little boy. Youre good with kids Wally. But its not a kid--its Batkid. Why am I an idiot._

“Flash, actually, that’s usually what he calls me,” Wally said quickly.

_Wow. Batman used to be a thumb sucker. Gotta find a way to blackmail Bats with this. When I get back. If I get back._

 

“Mister Flash,” Bruce extended a small hand to him, “Bruce Wayne,”

_Uncanny._

 

“Nice to meet you, Bruce,” Wally shook his hand.

Martha reached out and grabbed him quickly, setting him on her lap as she continued to look at Wally warily, “Do you have a plan?”

 

“Right. Yeah. I want to find Luthor. So I’m going to need to know about any strange transactions that have been happening. But we can’t attract too much attention. Or he’ll know it’s you guys,” Wally scratched his wild red hair, “I honestly wish Bruce was here. He’s great with this sort of thing. Smart plans and stealth.”

“Bruce  _is_ here!” the little boy says indignantly.

“Bruce,” his mother kissed him gently, “the adults are talking.”

 

“That’s okay, he just wants to help. God knows I know what that feels like.” Wally said, “If you guys could maybe get me a map of the city that’d be a decent place to start.”

“I have one in my study I believe,” Thomas got up.

“Is Flash your real name?” Bruce asked.

 

“Nah,” Wally answered, “They call me that ‘cause I’m fast.”

“How fast?” Bruce asked.

Wally zipped upstairs. Straight to Bruce’s nursery. Looked around and grabbed a stuffed horse. Then returned downstairs.

“That fast,” Wally handed the horse to Bruce.

 

Bruce’s eyes are so wide, “I didn’t even see you move. That was amazing!”

_This kid is really complimentary for someone that becomes brooder-in-chief._

 

“What’s the horse called?” Wally asked. Children usually have fantastically unique names for their toys.

“Clydesdale.” Bruce answered smartly.

“You named a horse Clydesdale?” Wally looked surprised.

“That’s the species, Flash.” Bruce said, as if that was obvious.

_That’s more like it. Was that a baby eye roll?_

 

“I have the map,” Thomas Wayne returned.

“Anyone who wanted to blow up the city would start here,” Martha pointed at a dot on the outskirts, “They’re building a nuclear power plant. Reactor’s not stable yet.”

“Right-o. I’ll start there, then.” Wally said.

 

“I’m coming with you,” Martha demanded suddenly.

“You can’t. It’s really dangerous.” Wally explained.

“I want to make sure you are who you say you are. And if someone is after Bruce I can’t sit at home and do nothing. Besides, you don’t know Gotham like I do.”

 

_What is it with Waynes and Gotham? I love Keystone City. But come on._

 

“Okay. I’ll take you. Just. One thing.”

“Yes?”  
“If you get motion sickness. Try not to throw up on me.”

 

Wally scooped her up and he began to run.


End file.
